Archive for month: April, 2025
SERVICE MANAGER
Full-time (job-share or part-time considered for suitable candidate). Based in North Northamptonshire
We are excited to be managing the Healthwatch North Northamptonshire Service and appointing new staff for the service. Our aims and mission are to give voice to the public and engaging communities especially those who are least heard and the most
vulnerable. You will also be committed to working collaboratively with communities, VCSE and statutory sector services.
The Service Manager will have significant knowledge of health and social care services and community engagement including working with people who use services. The Service Manager will also be able to lead all the key functions of Healthwatch including:
• Providing an effective Information & Signposting service for the public.
• Priority Research Projects
• Gathering Public and Patient Experiences
• Proactively managing Community Engagement & Outreach work
• Meeting Enter & View requirements
• Promoting and supporting Volunteering
We are looking for someone who is committed to social justice and equalities and able to translate this into practice. We need a confident manager who is credible and can lead an effective work programme relevant to meeting the needs of local communities and informing change to policy and practice of health and social care service.
For more information view the Job Description.
Community Engagement Facilitator
We have recently been awarded a grant from the Compton Fund. An element of this funding involves outreach to the local community (The Mounts). To meet this need we require the services of a Community Engagement Facilitator. The successful candidate will work Freelance on a short-term contract. Project Duration will be from April 2025 till February 2026. The position is funded for a total of 80 hours @ £20 per hour. Mix of working from home, working with Community Groups in the Mounts and working at 97 Charles Street (The Lab). Previous experience of this role would be useful but is not essential, appropriate skills and enthusiasm for the project will be valued. This role is offered without a detailed job description. Instead, candidates are invited to present their solutions to achieving the required outcomes as part of the interview process. The successful candidate will work with the Project Team to set targets and objectives. The role will include communicating with local groups, online and in person, leading outreach discussions. The desired outcomes to meet our obligations to the Compton Fund have been established as:
1. Devise an engagement programme
2. Create questionnaires & surveys to identify the broad spread of people we can
talk to
3. Establish best methods to engage with community: to include
a. Community Open Days
b. Heritage walks
c. Facilitating communities expressing their story through art, music and written word
4. Design and distribute digital & printed communication
5. Collect and analyse current and ongoing engagement with the project
6. Report on progress using data collected and case studies
For further details on this project, see “97 Charles Street & The Mounts History Project”.
Members of the project team will be happy to answer questions from potential candidates before they submit their applications
Enquiries to: 97charlesst@gmail.com
Faith and Flourishing Communities in Northampton
Working Together to Tackle Health Inequalities
What’s this all about?
Churches & faith communities are vital to the wellbeing of our town. Faith and Flourishing Communities in Northampton is a new project exploring how churches and faith groups support people’s health, tackle inequality, and build stronger, more connected communities.
We’re working with a small group of churches, faith groups and charities in Central Northampton – an area facing some of the deepest health challenges – to shine a light on the work you already do, listen to your experiences, and learn together how to amplify your impact.
Why it matters
Many people in our communities only turn to health or social care at crisis point. Churches often see people before that – offering meals, a listening ear, safe spaces, prayer, and practical help. This builds on an evidence base of the Creating a Neighbourhood Health Service report by Church Works and House of Good reports.
This project will:
- Highlight the hidden health work churches and faith organisations already do
- Strengthen partnerships with health services, voluntary and statutory bodies
- Support your group’s voice and role in decision-making
- Help identify resources, training, and future funding opportunities
What’s in it for your church or faith group?
- Be part of a high-profile local project linked with a national initiative and research
- Identification of your church or organisation on the Northampton central area map
- Share your story and good practice through a published report
- Join a learning community of like-minded faith leaders
- Receive a small financial thank you (£20/hour) for your participation
- Connect to the Wellbeing Launchpad and social prescribing referrals
Get involved
We’re inviting churches to a 30-minute webinar to find out more and explore how to join. If your church is working with people on the margins – through foodbanks, drop-ins, mental health support, or simply welcoming everyone – we’d love to hear from you.
Together, let’s provide the evidence and promote how faith helps communities flourish.
Register your interest now by emailing: Nick Amis (ffnc@host-press.co.uk)
Or sign up for a webinar slot or to learn more visit: https://host-press.co.uk/ffcn/
Consultation on changes to charity accounting rules
The Charity Commission and its sister bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland have launched a public consultation on the next version of the charities accounting and reporting framework.
This framework, known as the charities’ Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) is the sector standard for accounting and reporting for charities that are companies or have an income over £250,000.
It ensures consistency and transparency across the sector, making charity accounts comparable, understandable, and useful for donors, beneficiaries, and the public alike.
It has been updated following an extensive development process informed by the views of partners and a sector specific SORP Committee.
The regulators are now inviting comments on the draft and the feedback will help shape the final version, which is expected to be published in autumn 2025.
We recommend that those charities who prepare accounts using the SORP start to get ready for the changes, which are expected to come into force for financial years starting from 1 January 2026.
Health Inequalities & Community Cohesion Conference 31 March
Connect Northamptonshire co-funded the North Northamptonshire Health Inequalities Conference this week that was attended by over 100 delegates. For those of you that missed it, here’s the Slide Deck from all the speakers that gives a great oversight from the day’s fruitful conversations. It was really lovely to see the Service User Friendly Forum developing from the Support North Northants Project with some inspirational talks from the Service Users.
